The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-28
TALK ABOUT NATURAL GAS.
Indefinite Information Regarding Its
Probable Cost to- City Consumers.
The Kind of Franchise that the Standard
Oil Company Wants-Difference Between
Indiana and Pennsylvania Gas Fields.

With an assured supply of natural gas within
twenty miles of Indianapolis, many questions
arise as to what the pressure will be and what
the cost to consumers when it is brought here
by pipes and distributed to manufacturers,
cost of this fuel, as compared with coal and
wood, no highly satisfactory answer can be
elected Mr.. /. II. Mansfield the general
agent of the Standard Oil Company, says en-
this point THE price of gas which we furnish
for heating purposes will be governed by the
law of supply and demand. That is to say,
the price of coal and wood is now and will be
competitor as we'll as other gas companies. and
we should have to furnish fuel cheaper than
wood or coal can be purchased or we will have
no customers"
On the matter of an ordinance to be passed
by the City Council, Mr.. Mansfield said yester-
day: 1.-THE Indiana Natural-gas Company is
simply asking permission Of the Council to use
the streets and alleys for laying pipes to furnish
natural gas. which we propose to pipe from our
gas wells near Noblesville We cannot tell how
much of deposit is there, for the field is but
partially explored. We are willing to take the
chances, believing there is sufficient to
justify us in an outlay of $l.000,000, which
we propose to spend on the plant here.
This company is willing to use the alleys as far
as it is practicable in laying mains and lateral
pipes and would not encroach upon streets and
public grounds any more than would be neces-
sary in perfecting its system. This company
does not ask an exclusive privilege, but expects
an open and free ordinance to all Corners We
believe the citys interest will be sufficiently
protected against any unjust or unreasonable
prices, as consumers would not patronize it I'M
less they find it to their pecuniary interest.
Whatever ordinance s passed should be passed
Immediately, as it is desirable to have the work
necessary to be done to bring gas here
completed before frost. Such an ordinance
as this company will be willing to work under
will be presented to your City Council next
Monday evening. If we are met in fair spirit
there is question but we shall have gas for
sale in Indianapolis in four month or less after
the passage of the ordinance. 1t cannot be ex-
Ipected that any company or individuals can
guarantee prices under any ordinance, consider
ing the very uncertain character of the business
and the ordinance should be perfectly free from
any conditions as to prices.
Mr.. Mansfield said the Standard Oil Company
and towns with gas, in only one of which is the
gas furnished by them through the meter sys-
TEN, in all the others the cost being so much per
stove Contracts with local consumers are
made in accordance with the quantity used for
what time it is used, and for what purpose. 1t
will be furnished cheaper than any other fuel
and is more economical, clearly, and efficient
He says that when gas comes to Indianapolis the
prices of wood and coal will take decided tum-
bic and stay down. This will be of benefit to
portion Of the public who will not be able to use
gas. even though it is generally distributed over
the city.
j. a. Galley, of Pittsburg, Pa. representing
the firm of ]. NJ. Guffey q Co., of that city, is
stopping at the Bates House His purpose here
is to ask the privilege Of piping natural gas into
this city from Hamilton county. In converse
ton with reporter, last evening, he said:
"Some time ago our folks at Pittsburg subscribed
for the Indianapolis Daily Journal in order to
keep posted on natural-gas matters in Indiana
We all read it every day with great interrst,
though somewhat surprised at the excitement
here, for natural gas is getting to be old story
with us-an established fact. The first pipe
line was laid with us in 1873 or 1874, gas being
brought from Butler county, over twenty miles
Strange as 1t seems now. gas we'll was burn
ing for ten years within shorter distance of
Pttsburg than that aud yet WAS not utilized.
The firm of j. M. Guffey q Co. has been in the
natural-gas business for a number of years. hav
ing gone into it in its infancy. We have organ
lied and built eight lines. and are now building
ital amounting to Sc, 600, and have 100000
acres of land. These main lines are from six
miles in length to fifty miles But one of these,
the Pennsylvania line, runs direct into Pittsburg.
This supplies factories, chiefly iron works, al
though private dwellings are now being con-
nected
1--WE have blocks of leased ground in Hami-
ton county, good portion OF it in the immedi
ate vicinity of Noblesville, amounting to be-
tween 5000 and 5000 acres. Mr.. H. o. Patch
and associates took up most of this land about
the first of January. AS to an opening for COM
peting lines in Indianapolis, my opinion is that
there is enough here for two, or even three,
lines. The gas will probably have to be col
elected for each line from a number of wells
asaY twenty or thirty wells. You must remem-
3 Der come from field where one well will
sometimes put on 225 pounds pressure on a
twenty-inch line
Il wish to say that indianapolis can't afford to
shut out any company that wants to pipe gas
here To bring gas here from twenty miles
away means an outlay of half a million dollars,
and the distribution of that gas together with
incidentals, means expenditure of nearly
another half million. And that means million
dollars in cash, for iron and the work required
q cannot be procured except for cash. The ground
'hereabouts is very favorable for rapid digging of
trenches and rapid pipeayine, much more so
than in Pennsylvania, but the rock pressure of
good Pennsylvania wells is from 500 to 600
pounds"
What do you think as to the life of our In
diana Wellsi Will they laStf
From the large developed area Of gas terri.
tory l argue very favorably.. The depth of the
wells has nothing to do with it. Some of the
best wells we have in Pennsylvania are only
1000 feet deep, while most much deeper.
Z Our gas in western Pennsylvania comes from
the pebble rock and from the sandstone We
have no Trenton, and know nothing about tina,
formation. Our firm is thoroughly conversant
with the natural-gas business, and proposes to
take hand in the deal here"
New Natural-Gas Companies.
Three more natural-gas companies filed arti
cles of incorporation with tne Secretary
Of State yesterday, as follows: The Citi
zens' Natural-gas Oil and Pipeline Com
pany, of Logansport, capital stock, $500
Directors, John E. Barnes, L. r. Loree
j. N Booth. Dennis Uhl j. h Shuitz, P. F.
McHale, Jehu Elliott, A. w Stevens, II. Brook
meyer. sr., Isaac Shideler and D. LaMoyne Wick
ersham. Vincennes Natural-gas and Minine
Company. capital stock, So 600 Directors, Ste
phen s. Barnes Hiram A. Foulks John L.
Green, jerome Il. Kelso George Fendrick
Frederick Samonial, Ernest Baker. John d. L,
Groix, Thomas Eastman and John Wilhelm
Fowler Natural-gas Oil and Mining COMPANY
capital stock, $1,000 Directors VIM. S. Van
pata, Thos J. Brown, VIM. H. Dasue. JOS F.
Warner, Jesse B. Mckinney, A dams ID. Ran,
and N. S. Wiles. ~ -.
Notes About Natural Gas
The Farmland Natural-eas Company will
commence drilling TO-DAY.